International Women’s Day 2026: Growth, Opportunities and Female Leaders in Sport

On the 8th of March, International Women’s Day will highlight gender equality and the achievements women have made worldwide, from scientific discoveries to activism.

The sports industry is no exception. Women continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the sector, influencing everything from grassroots participation and community development to executive leadership and board-level decision-making.

At the Global Institute of Sport, we are proud to support and champion that journey. This article explores the recent progress made in women’s sport, while also spotlighting some of our female students and graduates who are building impactful careers across the industry..

The Growth of Women’s Sport

The FIFA World Cup is the largest sporting event in the world, and in 2019, the Women’s World Cup final recorded more viewers in the US than the men’s edition, according to a Statista report on money in the female sports industry.

Viewership of the Women’s European Championship has been another area of success. In 2009, 48 million people tuned in to watch the Women’s Euros, in 2025, this figure rose to 400 million.

Across the Atlantic however, the US is perhaps a leader when it comes to championing women’s sport.

A beacon for independent clubs and a sustainable operating model in the WSL, the US has also seen a sharp rise of average viewership in basketball.

In 2015, the average viewership of the WNBA was around 202,000. In 2025, this figure has risen to 969,000, while attendance also reached an all-time high of over 11,000 per game.

This has resulted in commercial advancements too, with Caitlin Clark earning the largest-ever sponsorship contract for a women’s basketball player in 2024.

Alongside the aforementioned Statista report that emphasised the need for brands to “recognise women’s sport as an investment for the future,” experts in the industry further see it as an area for aspiring professionals to focus on too.

Speaking to broadcaster Lynsey Hooper as part of our GIS Insight Series, Misha Sher, Global Head of Sport & Entertainment at advertising company WPP Media, said:

“We just spoke about, going forward, how influential these female athletes are going to be.

“They’re going to need people around them that can capture, package, and tell a story in a way that can grow the audience and in a way that can engage and leverage these partnerships that these athletes are going to get.”

Misha then referenced Alessia Russo, who he has worked with extensively, and the importance of bridging the gap between fan and athlete as a way for the women’s game to continue growing.

“Fans are getting to know the individuals much more, and are developing some sort of a connection to the individual much more than they do to a particular team. These individuals share their lives and they become role models for a lot of young people.

“That’s an opportunity because these women have so much influence and there’s so many ways in which you can tap into working with a female athlete, to tell a really powerful story as a brand, and oftentimes, again, it annoys me that we miss that.” 

He also noted that this brings with it the opportunity for women entering the industry to get their foot in the door.

“I’ve seen a lot of that in the men’s game, you have photographers or videographers that travel around and spend a lot of time with the athlete. That will happen with female athletes as well. So if you’re into a more creative field, I think it’s a really, really interesting space.” 

This is an opportunity that GIS has seen reflected in the career paths of many of our female students and graduates- Maria Hasler is an example of a professional in the creative fields Misha mentioned.

A former marketing student at GIS, Maria went on to work for companies such as Stan, Nike and Arsenal as a marketing professional, and spoke to GIS after she landed an earlier role at DAZN.

“I joined a charity called Bloomsbury Football,” she said, “where I was heading the partnerships department. I did deals with Nike and spoke to a lot of stakeholders within the sports industry. 

“That was a valuable experience that I then showcased in the interview process, and that’s how I secured the role at DAZN.”

Through SPARK, GIS’ first ever society – GIS aims to support women in sport through mentorship, leadership opportunities, and industry connections. Graduate Katie Fuller was part of the team that launched the society, studying MSc International Sport Management before landing a role at the NBA.

Sarah Levy is another of our alumni who has gone on to secure important roles in the sports industry. Sarah’s current role as Academy Player Care Manager at the Premier League sees her work with professional academies to support players’ development off the pitch. 

“It involves a number of different initiatives including induction and exit, so not just transitioning out of an academy but also through the phases and into the first team,” Sarah said.

“It also involves mental and emotional wellbeing, understanding the importance of player and parent voice and making sure everyone is happy in their environment and thriving.”

As well as supporting graduates as they progress into industry roles, GIS also aims to create better access to these opportunities for future female leaders in sport through two different scholarship opportunities.

The Women in Sport scholarship provides a 25% reduction on tuition fees and access to exclusive GIS Scholars mentorship programme, while we also partnered with Women in Soccer last year to launch a second scholarship. This includes a 50% tuition discount for WIS members to GIS’ MSc Football Business programme, whilst covering the cost of a GIS Global Summit Miami ticket. 

Cat Garrido, Regional Director of the Americas at GIS, said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Women in Soccer to provide this unprecedented opportunity.”

“At GIS we are dedicated to providing pathways into an exciting career in soccer through access to our industry-focused degrees.” 

Article by Zakaria Anani